Gareth Bale: Targeting the PFA Player of the Year Award and a top-four finish fo

Bale returned from two-and-a-half weeks out with an ankle injury for Sunday's 3-1 home win over Manchester City.

The 23-year-old set up Clint Dempsey for Spurs' equalising goal before securing the points with a well-taken third as they came from behind to score three times in eight minutes in the final quarter of an hour of the game.

The Wales international, who has also been nominated in the Young Player of the Year category, will find out on 28 April if he has won either, or both, awards and he confirms it means a lot to him.

"It's massive. It's great for your peers to vote for you," said Bale.

"Hopefully I do win. To be nominated is fantastic and fingers crossed (I do win)."

Bale was delighted with the battling spirit shown by his team-mates at White Hart Lane and is keen for them to show that until the end of the season as they look to secure a top-four Premier League finish.

"We knew it was a massive game and the lads showed what we have in the team - a lot of character," he added.

"It was a fantastic turnaround. As soon as we scored the first, everyone had that belief and confidence.

"The fans raised the noise and gave us that belief to go forward and thankfully we were able to score two more.

"We need to keep that character, team spirit, and togetherness in to the last five games and push for our objectives this season."

Tottenham will move a point clear of third-placed Arsenal, who face Manchester United on Sunday, if they beat Wigan the day before.

But it is their game with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 8 May that looks like being crucial in deciding if they will be competing in next season's Champions League.

Readers' Comments

I

t's wrong to be making a joke out of Bender's name at the expense of gay people. It's the kind of childish, uncivilised thing that Football365 would deride and ridicule if it was another media outlet saying. Why is there a need for jokes like this? Does it make your writers feel like men? F365 might suggest that I 'lighten up', but it is genuinely traumatic for people who have been oppressed all their lives to be the butt of jokes, and to be told...

ou can't blame De Gea for wanting to leave, he has enough to do in front of goal as it is as well as taking on the role of Man Utd's version of Derek Acorah in trying to contact and organise a defence that isn't there.